2005 Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry

Dark ruby in colour, slight pinking on the edges but still very much in the zone of a young wine visually. Serious stuff, has the core of 2005 in terms of energy and power, and is still young, with dense fruits, a zip of minerality and lift, and remains juicy on the finish. Liqourice, cigar box, raspberry, white pepper and sage spice. This is a great example of the vintage, and at a great moment to drink but going absolutely nowhere. A special occasion wine. 80% new oak.

A beautiful wine, once again, from this property that has been on a superb qualitative roll for several decades. Dense ruby/purple with notes of graphite, background oak, youthful crème de cassis and blackberry fruit as well as a floral underpinning, it is medium to full-bodied, textured, rich and impressive. Still in a somewhat adolescent stage, it should hit full maturity in another 2-3 years and last at least two decades.

Mid crimson without great colour concentration. Sweet, creamy nose. Then a pretty chewy cassis palate. Absolutely masses of tannins. This should come right in the end. But it certainly needs time. This may always be a bit chunky and less sophisticated than some but not overworked in any way. (JR)